Rainy Days

Kitchen Sink Salad:

1 bag of lettuce (any kind is good, but I recommend a spring mix or baby greens)

1 bell pepper, diced

1 small zucchini, chopped and sauteed in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a sprinkling of Herbes de Provence (available at any grocery store) until soft

1/2 cup of warm, cooked lentils

1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s Spicy Ranchero Egg White Salad

Dressing:

1 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp whole grain mustard

Simply throw everything into a gigantic bowl, mix and gorge!

The main calories come from the lentils (120 calories for the 1/2 cup), but you also get a nice 9 grams of protein and no fat! The egg white salad also throws in 7 grams of protein so you finish this meal feeling plenty satisfied, plus you’ve just knocked out 4 servings of veggies for the day!

I went on a 45 minute bike ride last night, of which the last 300 feet nearly KILLED me. I need to mention that I live on top of a mountain. And by mountain, I mean a really really steep hill. I got a good workout prior to heading back home, but the last slope to reach the driveway is painful! Luckily I had the KSS waiting for me as well as some wild caught Alaskan Cod. Perfect way to end the day. It was only missing the Fat Tire that I’ve sworn off of until I’m done filming mid-June.

This morning I woke up to a misty morning. Had my usual breakfast scramble (the fridge is re-stocked! Yay!) that starts me off with another crazy amount of veggies.

Breakfast Scramble:

1/2 zucchini, chopped and sauteed until soft

1/2 bell pepper, chopped and sauteed until soft

3-4 asparagus, chopped and sauteed until soft

2 cups of spinach, chopped and sauteed until wilted

After all the veggies are sauteed, push them to the side of the pan, then scramble 1-2 eggs on the other half. Once the eggs are set, mix it all together, then top with either 1/2 cup of fresh salsa or a few dashes of jalapeno sauce.

After an amazing meal and a lot of cleanup, we headed out to the trails for another easy 52 minute hike in the light rain. I think the bike ride yesterday pretty much drained all of my body’s resources, so this one was pure torture, but it always feels amazing to be done and be pumped full of those endorphins.

I was going to get home and go on another bike ride, but considering I haven’t been on a bike consistently in over 2 years, I decided to not risk the wet roads and crazy Cali drivers. Instead, I made my version of rice pudding.

Rice Pudding:

1/2 cup warm, cooked brown rice

1/8 cup unsweetened soy milk

Drizzle of pure maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

Stir in a mug and eat while watching the rain. It’s a nice way to get your whole grains in and cure a sweet tooth while getting some protein as well.

Since I couldn’t bike, after I finished off some leftover Alaskan Cod and half a banana, I decided to go get some much-needed workout clothes. I hit up Sports Chalet with a hot mug of unsweetened Jasmine Green tea and got 2 dry-fit shirts, then went to a bike shop and got some even MORE needed padded bike shorts. After a few days on that bike, sitting down anywhere is enough to bring tears to your eyes!

Of course, now the sun is out and the roads seem to be calling me. The question is, give my body a rest, eat some bell peppers and spicy hummus and start a dinner of quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa), roasted zucchini and butternut squash, or go outside and receive the pain I’m bound to get…

Decisions, decisions…